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U.S. NEWS Monday 23 october 2017
Trump urges House GOP to move quickly on budget, tax cuts

passed a budget that in- Senate Republicans. “State of the Union” that
cludes rules that will allow Congress also continues to he was waiting “to hear
Republicans to get tax leg- wrestle with the health care from President Trump what
islation through the Senate system. kind of health care bill he
without Democratic votes Senate Majority Leader might sign.” “If there’s a
and without fear of a Dem- Mitch McConnell said Sun- need for some kind of in-
ocratic filibuster. day he’s willing to bring bi- terim step here to stabilize
Republicans are desperate partisan health care legis- the market, we need a bill
to rack up a legislative win lation to the floor — if Trump the president will actually
after a series of embarrass- makes clear he supports it. sign. And I’m not certain
ing failures that have come A proposal by two sena- yet what the president is
despite the fact that the tors - Republican Lamar Al- looking for here, but I will
party controls both cham- exander of Tennessee and be happy to bring a bill to
bers of Congress and the Democrat Patty Murray of the floor if I know President
White House. Washington - would extend Trump would sign it,” the
President Donald Trump departs Trump National Golf Club, On the call, House Speaker for two years federal insur- Republican said. He added
Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, in Sterling, Va. Trump urged House Paul Ryan told members ance payments that Trump of Trump: “I think he hasn’t
Republicans to move swiftly on passing a budget bill during a he hoped to pass a re- has blocked. But Trump made a final decision.”
conference call Sunday, clearing the way for what he described vised Senate budget bill has offered mixed signals, The plan unveiled last week
as an historic push for tax cuts.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) this week to increase the alternately praising and likely has 60 votes in the
changes that tax reform condemning the effort - Senate, mostly from Demo-
By JILL COLVIN who spoke on condition of can be enacted by the confusing Democrats and crats, and Senate Minority
Associated Press anonymity because they end of the year. Republicans alike. Leader Chuck Schumer on
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) were not authorized to Trump will also work to rally Asked whether he would Sunday urged McConnell
— President Donald Trump discuss publicly what was support for the plan on the bring the bill to the floor, to bring it to the floor “im-
urged House Republicans intended as a private up- Hill Tuesday at a lunch with McConnell said on CNN’s mediately, this week.”q
to move swiftly on passing date for members.
a budget bill during a con- Another GOP aide familiar
ference call Sunday, clear- with the conversation said
ing the way for what he de- that Trump told the mem-
scribed as an historic push bers again and again that
for tax cuts. the party would have a
Trump and Vice President steep price to pay in next
Mike Pence both joined year’s midterm elections if
the House GOP call in they failed to pass his plan,
which Trump called on which would slash the cor-
members to adopt the porate tax rate to 20 per-
budget passed by the Sen- cent and double the stan-
ate this week, so that they dard deduction used by
can move on to passing his most average Americans.
tax reform plan. The president also said mul-
Trump told the members tiple times that, beyond the
they were on the verge of looming elections, his plan
doing something historic, was the right thing to do for
according to one Repub- country, the person said.
lican official on the call, The Senate last week

Former US presidents call for

unity at hurricane aid concert

By WILL WEISSERT try after the storms.
Associated Press The appeal backed by the
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The ex-presidents has raised
five living former presidents $31 million since it be-
put aside politics and ap- gan on Sept. 7, said Jim
peared together for the first McGrath, spokesman for
time since 2013 at a con- George H.W. Bush.
cert on Saturday to raise President Donald Trump of-
money for victims of devas- fered a video greeting that
tating hurricanes in Texas, avoided his past criticism
Florida, Louisiana, Puerto of the former presidents
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Is- and called them “some
lands. of America’s finest public
Democrats Barack servants.” “This wonderful
Obama, Bill Clinton and effort reminds us that we
Jimmy Carter and Repub- truly are one nation under
licans George H.W. and God, all unified by our val-
George W. Bush gathered ues and devotion to one
in College Station, Texas, another,” Trump said in the
home of Texas A&M Univer- greeting, played during
sity, to try to unite the coun- the concert.q